Christmas Evey
by Agent Evey
Summary: A bit of nonsense I wrote last Christmas: V is not usually one to commemorate the Christmas season, but now that Evey has arrived he decides to spread a little Christmas cheer. A surprise for Evey as well as Sutler. My my, what could V possibly be up too?
1. Proposal

It was snowing.

V could barely even remember the last time he had actually taken the time to stand still and watch the snow fall. He had been so busy the past few years, especially during the holiday seasons, that he had hardly had enough time to let himself think, much less enjoy the simple subtleties that mother nature drew out every once in a while.

But tonight was different. Yes, indeed it was. With his vendetta finally being carried out in full he now had a little more time to himself and was thus more able to fully enjoy the silent spectacle. It was one of the many benefits of running well planned schedule of events. Everything that he was to do was in order. Each event had an exact time and place to occur and was clear in intent and purpose.

So not he stood silently on the roof of some sort of business building, able to observe what seemed like the entirety of London. A gargoyle of sorts keeping watch over it's cursed city.

He chuckled to himself quietly. Though the curfew had been set even earlier for tonight he was sure that at least some of London's population would be able to witness what he had planned for them tonight. A little holiday joke that he thought he would play on Sutler to finish off the Christmas season. It would be a spectacular display. Lacking in music but certainly not in creative fervor.

Ah, but he had almost forgotten, he would have to be checking in on that curious little maiden that he had so valiantly offered his home too a little less that a month ago. She hadn't been acting herself lately, whether from being cooped up in his little abode or because of her reaction to finding out that he had stolen her ID he could not know. He was no fool, he suspected that she had been plotting something, probably an escape, but was neither sure of how nor when. There was even a risk of her trying to escape tonight, while he was out; but try as she might he would not ever let her get away, not unless it interrupted his tightly scheduled vendetta. She had no clue what was likely to happen to her if indeed she did escape. And where would she go? There was that address written on a scrap of paper she kept hidden, he had come across it when trying to find her ID. She must have viewed him as some sort of monster when she had found out about that. A man who claimed to uphold every code of chivalry but who did not hesitate to destroy her privacy and disobey her trust. He did not respect her as much then as he did now, even though a month had passed he had grown quite fond of the brilliant young woman and almost regretted the act. But it was his vendetta…nothing should come in the way of that, his first and only love

Or was it? He couldn't be sure.

V breathed slowly and steadily through the mask, trying to soothe his thoughts. His breath came through hot and heavy through the tiny slit in Faux's mouth, rebelling against the cold night air with wisps of crystalline fog.

He didn't know what this feeling was that he was beginning to have towards Evey but he could tell that it was dangerous. He loved the idea of having an extra guest in his home, reveled in the privilege of being her protector; but this feeling…oh the feeling, it did not bode very well, not very well at all.

"Hmm," he hummed out under the mask as a hurried individual ran in the streets below him, the footsteps tearing from his thoughts. The man had a few wrapped presents in hand, trying to scurry away and get home before any Fingermen saw it.

Presents…Why did that ring a bell? Oh yes, he had gotten something for Evey, a little token that he had found on one of the supply trains.

But would that be enough to entertain her for the night? No it wouldn't. He would need to go back out to execute his little prank, but that would leave the woman with absolutely nothing to do and no one to speak with. She would go absolutely mental tonight if he didn't leave her with something. It was Christmas Eve, after all, and what kind of host was he to leave her alone…

But did she even know it was Christmas? Probably not, he hadn't been informing her of the dates, figuring that it would make her stay seem only that much longer. And did she even celebrate the holiday at all? Oh lord, he hadn't thought of that.

He was sure that she must have celebrated Christmas, though, as a child. Everyone had before the revolution. Even though the holiday was still commemorated now it had never quite been restored to it's former glory, and the proposed curfew ran even earlier than before on the night of Christmas Eve, making the idea of venturing outside quite horrifying. No lights outside, no snowball fights at night, no anything that made up Christmas Eve. All just so that Sutler could have his peace of mind.

"Peace of mind indeed." V mumbled to himself, "Well Sutler, you shall not have that tonight. No, I shall make sure of that."

Evey… What to do with Evey. He could take her with him. That wasn't such a bad idea. After all, she had been there to witness his work on the Old Bailey, and her presence had made the event much more enjoyable than it would have been without her. Yes, it was a brilliant idea, and this time no one would be killed, so the occasion would probably be much more to her liking. Why, he fancied that she might even enjoy it.

He stepped to the side and started to walk briskly toward the stairway door; he needed to get back to Shadow gallery quickly if everything for this evening was to go as planned. It was time for him to inform Evey of his plans for her that night, and to show her just what Christmas Eve was supposed to look like.

***

"Good evening, Evey" V said charismatically, waltzing through the door with an air of gallantry and pride. His breathing was a bit heavy from his rush home but his voice was as smooth and brilliant as ever.

"V!" Evey squealed, giving away a little more excitement over his return than she had originally intended. She couldn't really help it though, he looked absolutely delicious in that outfit of his that he donned every time he ventured outside, and though she didn't trust the man she couldn't deny holding a certain attraction for him. Ever since that day she had caught him fencing with that rusty old suit of armor of his she hadn't been able to keep her eyes off of his physicality. She had concluded that no other man could have pulled off that outfit looking as devilishly handsome as he had in his vest, poets shirt, and trousers. And his sword fighting! God he had made it look more like a dance than anything. Seeing him move about like that had caught her quite off guard and had left her with feeling that she imagined were quite inappropriate for the moment.

"You look as well as ever" he said calmly.

"Thank you," she smiled and put her book down, giving him her full attention. She had been on the couch for the past few hours, reading something with only half-interest.

"Do you happened know what day it is?" He was insistent upon cutting right to the chase, there wasn't much time and the night, although young, would pass quickly if he did not keep up with his plan.

"I know that it's December but I'm not sure of the exact date."

"It's December the twenty-fourth"

He watched carefully as her eyes lit up with a twinge of excitement. Which quickly faded when she realized that the man in front of her was not likely to celebrate the once popular holiday.

"Christmas eve?"

"Yes" So she was familiar with the holiday.

"Oh, well, happy Christmas then" She said, frowning as she picked something off of her sleeve. Why did he mention it anyways? He didn't seem to give any indication that he was planning anything special for the morning. V was very unpredictable, however, he could have had an entire festival of things planned out for all she knew.

"Indeed," he said, trying to stifle a chuckle at her internal frustration. "Though, I'm afraid that this little holiday will have to be spent outside."

"You mean are going back out already?" here she began to get angry. How dare he return and get her all riled up only to leave her alone once more.

"I am, but not alone."

Here she lifted a brow, looking up at him with what he could only interpret as the most adorable look of confusion he had ever come across.

"Evey, I'd like to show you something…" He look a step closer to her, "but in order to see it we must both leave the gallery"

"You mean that you are taking me with you?"

"Yes," he saw her face light up one more with excitement, "if you are willing"

"Of course!"

"There is one thing that I must ask of you, however … In order to join me you must consent to be blindfolded."

"Blindfolded? Why?"

He shifted uncomfortably, changing the balance of his weight from one leg to the other.

"I am sorry that this may seem distrustful of me but I still cannot risk you knowing where this gallery is located. Having you don a bit of cloth over your eyes in order to obstruct you vision was the only solution I saw possible"

"Oh" Evey turned her face to the ground.

"I am afraid that I can not be a gentleman towards you on this matter." He said, folding his hands neatly behind his back. His head dipped low; whether in shame or frustration she couldn't tell. "I simply can't risk it"

God, he would never trust her would he?

"No, it's ok" She moved her head back up to face him. "I…I understand"

There was a long pause between the two before V said anything again. Did she really understand? No, of course not, she was just eager to be outside.

"Thank you, Evey."

V left it at that, and from there guided her into the makeup room. He took a quick glance around the room before swiftly snatching up a thin strip of durable black cloth and holding it up to Evey. She nodded to him and, before she knew, it the cloth was gently secured around her eyes and tied snugly in place.

"So where are you taking me?"

"I'm afraid that I can't let you know that either, but only because it is a surprise."

"Oh a surprise?" her eyebrows raised in delight.

"Yes and one that I hope that you will enjoy"

V placed his hand on the small of her back and slowly guided her through many sets of doors, pausing only once to grab her a coat as it would be quite chilly outside.

After what seemed like forever Evey finally began to hear the distant sounds of a car or two passing on the streets, above and ahead. Whatever he had been guiding her through was reminiscent of a gigantic labyrinth in her minds eye and to be able to hear and smell the outside above…well it was just lovely.

He stopped her suddenly, and she could hear him shuffling about the area; she turned her head about, brows furrowed as she tried to decipher just what exactly he was doing. Then everything went silent save for the clink of metal against wood. Was that his mask? Was he listening for something?

"The coast is clear. This door," he paused to knock on something heavily, "is the last barrier that lies between us and London. Are you ready?" his voice was smooth and businesslike.

"Yes," she nodded eagerly.

She heard a series of clicks and dings, sounds which normally resulted from the reactions of metal scraping against metal. Her heart jumped at the groaning of what sounded like a very large and heavy door leading to the outside world, and before she knew it she was back in the vicinity of mainstream London.


	2. Mr Scrooge

It was cold outside, very, very cold; and though Evey was unable to see she could almost feel the way that her breath moved through the air in short puffy clouds. She hadn't been able to feel and take in such fresh, crisp, unguarded air in what seemed like an eternity and relished in the opportunity to breathe it in as much as she could. God it was refreshing.

"Come quickly," V said gently, pushing her forward along some sort of stony walkway.

Small bit's of ice brushed across Evey's face as V led her through the city-- she deduced that must have been snowing in the area. She did not speak at all, thinking it best to remain silent as V made his way from alleyway to alleyway, pausing every once in a while to conceal them both in the darkness when someone walked by.

He was a terrorist, after all, and a very well known one at that. He couldn't just go prancing around London in that ivory mask of his without being noticed. Evey dearly wished that she could see him, though, slinking around with those fluid, cat-like movements of his; stealthy and perfectly undetectable in his element. She couldn't imagine what a burden she had been to him tonight, however. Her attendance obviously slowed his progress and allotted him with the responsibility of having to keep up with not just one life, but two. .

But what Evey didn't know was that V was enjoying every minute of their little endeavor. He loved the way that her face contorted every time he stopped her to make sure that the coast was clear. The way that she would turn her head about curiously, as if trying to make out any unusual sounds. Her presence was absolutely glorious.

It was around the twentieth time that he stopped her that things started to get a little more exciting. Evey listened intently as he shuffled about the alleyway, hearing him pull something down from the wall beside her with as much silence as he could manage. The metal object squeaked loudly in horrid protest to his ministrations, breaking through the stillness of the night. He paused after the deed was done, making sure that no one heard the blatant noise.

Unbeknownst to them, however, someone had heard, and they were very soon to find out.

"What was that?" Evey whispered.

V gently grasped Evey's hand with his own gloved one and guided her to the first rung.

"A ladder, and a very rusty one at that," he chuckled softly

"No not that, the footsteps"

"Footsteps?" He was surprised that she had heard something he did not, his hearing was much more acute than an average man's, but she was blindfolded and had not been as close to the screeching ladder as he.

" 'Ey you! Stop right there!"

"V?" Evey whispered with an anxious voice.

V could only emit what sounded to Evey like a low, wolf-like growl before he stopped and turned around to locate the origin of the voice. There were four fingermen standing across the way. The one standing in front, a rather short man in a dingy suit, appeared to be their leader. The other three, one fat, one tall, and one rather thin man wearing glasses stood in a triangle behind him, hands positioned on their gun holsters, ready to take action if the need arose

V gently lifted Evey off of the ladder and pushed her down and to the side, concealing her behind a rather large and dingy trash bin. Quickly untying her blindfold, he bent low, handed it to her and put a gloved finger up to the lips of his Fauxian visage. Her soft chocolate eyes gleamed back at him with both confusion and fear, beseeching him softly to explain what was going on.

"We are in an alley, there are four fingermen, do not move or make a sound" He whispered, low and soft.

She nodded in reply.

He left her with one fluid movement then, and Evey automatically felt the cold replace his warm figure over hers.

Standing back to his full height, he proceeded to confront the fast approaching fingermen and walked into plain view of them .

"Who're you? Ye ain't authorized to be out 'ere after curfew" the short one in front spat out, beady little eyes fixed on him with contempt and prejudice.

"Of course I am" V said smugly.

"Prove eht"

"Why do you not recognize me, gentlemen? I am Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, St. Nicholas, Pere Noel; the spirit of the holiday season! I am a jolly red giant of a man and I've arrived just in time to spread a little Christmas cheer." He paused to regard the reactions of all four men, each of whom decided that it was best to pull out his gun and point it at the strange man.

V cocked his head to the side as if relishing in the silent challenge. "Ho…ho…ho…"

"If yeh 'ad any sense yeh'dve shut yer damn mouth already, scum " said the fat one from afar.

"And why would I do that?"

"Cause I'll shoot yeh, that's why"

"Oh my, I think that someone just made their way onto the naughty list"

"Crazy git," the leader spat on the ground, "yeh wanna to be black bagged do yeh?"

"Oho 'You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.'" V said sternly, not at all in the mood to sing. (1)

"Shut yer bloody trap or I'll load yeh with bullets."

"Goodness, we wouldn't want that now would we? Mister Scrooge."

"What did yeh just call me?"

Here V slowly parted the slit of his cloak to reveal a gleaming silver dagger. Looking to the ground, he kept a wary eye through his peripheral vision, ready for any sudden movements.

"Tell me, Ebenezer, do you have any children?"

One of the men behind the leader, the rather young chap with glasses, widened his eyes at the sight of the dagger and began to nod at V's inquiry. The other three just stared at him blankly.

"External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty." V held the dagger out fully now, his cloak fully parted to reveal the other five he had in store.(2)

"Yer under arrest" the tall one finally spoke. He held the gun up more firmly towards V and began to step towards him and to the side, thinking that V was more bark that he ever was bite. But oh was he wrong…so very, very wrong.

"To the contrary…"

There was a large crash, and all four men turned their gazed away from V to look to the trash bin behind him. Of course, V didn't have to look, he knew, but it was a horrifying occurrence all the same.

Evey had lost her balance while trying to get into a better position to prepare for action, just in case she would need to run. In doing this she knocked the top off of the barrel and onto the ground. Her eyes widened when she saw all four men looking at her.

The fat one took action immediately, running towards Evey with all haste. This, in turn, caused Evey to run herself; away from all of them and towards the open streets ahead. The leader and the tall man were not as quick to react, but both began to get a clue when V started to turn to go after the fat one, knife raised in fast pursuit.

He would surely have made it to the slow waddling bulk ahead of him if the leader behind hadn't decided that now was a good time to shoot. A bullet grazed past his mask, and another clipped the knife in his hand. The fat one would be back shortly anyways, he thought as he swirled around to regard the three men remaining behind him.

He broke into a run, taking the three by surprise and dodging their bullets as he carefully made his way to the closest man, the tall one in front of him. He lifted the man fully off of the ground and used his body as if it were a human shield. The tall one screamed as a bullet went through his leg, thrashing violently and making his form particularly hard to hold on to. The two men shooting at him ceased fire immediately, not wishing to further harm their comrade. V dropped the ailing man to the ground, attempting to avoid the blood that was already flowing profusely out of the his leg.

V then proceeded to take on the other two individuals in his way. The fat man was back sooner than he had expected, however, clutching the squirming Evey to his enormous bulk as if he were holding a rag doll. As V had predicted, the man held a gun to her head.

V froze in mock surprise. Pretending to have been gotten the better of.

"Why look old boys, the beast has a broad…Pretty little thing, eh?" the pudgy one said smugly.

"This one 'o them little elves, is it? Wonder if she'll be able to fix my toy" the leader said, rubbing his hand across her cheek.

"Let go of me!" Evey screamed as she tried again to squirm out of the man's grasp.

"Think you're smart now 'eh, chump? Move again and well shoot 'er" the leader exclaimed, looking to V once more.

"Better yet we'll cap the both of yeh" the large man said as he held Evey even tighter.

"I don't think that you want to do that." V said calmly, as if nothing had occurred at all.

"'an what're yeh gonna do about it eh?" The leader spat out again, "poke us with them bloody sticks yeh got there?"

" 'Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,' " V said with a bit of a growl in his tone, a fair warning that none of the men (save the one with glasses who, unbeknownst to his comrades, quietly took a step backwards and lowered his weapon) seemed to pick up on. (2)

"But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change." His gazed fixed on the man with the glasses. (2)

V suddenly jumped past the leader of the trio and simultaneously caught the hand of the bulky one clutching on to Evey as he pushed his fair maiden out of the harm's way. He was now standing in a position that was fixed slightly behind the fat man, and with one hand holding the man's arm in the air he quickly brought the other to the edge of his cloak, planning his next move so rapidly that no one would ever have noticed the slight pause.

" 'You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese,' " he said sternly as he jumped in the air and used the body of glasses-man in front of him to kick off of. The man was pushed back as V used the opposing force to flip over the fat one as he brought the mass of his cloak down upon the pudgy mans head. This excited a muffled yelp from the enveloped figure.

" 'a fragment of underdone potato'! " V exclaimed, punching the cloaked head with the hilt of his blade and watching fervently as both the knife and the pudgy man hit the ground hard.

" 'Ah, but 'There's more of gravy than of grave about you…' Sir" (2)

Within a matter of seconds he jumped in front of Evey, who had also fallen to the ground, and picked up the fat man's discarded weapon. He held the gun backwards, the tip placed firmly in his glove while the handle was exposed to the men standing in front of him.

The leader laughed heartily. "Don't even know how to use eh't ya bi…"

V launched the gun at him as if it were a throwing knife, hitting the leader square on the head and silencing him before he could even finish his sentence.

"You speak too much, Ebenezer." V said, turning back around and lending a hand towards Evey, which she took immediately as he helped her up.

"Are you hurt?" V asked, truly concerned.

Evey shook her head and turned to look at the timid man still standing across the way. V did the same.

A long moment passed before anyone moved, and the frightened fingerman could only look from one to the other with fearful eyes.

V decided to change the course of things and took three long strides towards him, coming within one or two feet of his terrified form. He was visibly shaking.

"Run, you indecisive man," V said demurely, his voice steady and unwavering, like the tone of a deep bell.

The timid fellow followed his orders wisely, turning and fleeing in the opposite direction without a moments hesitation. His ragged breath and heavy footsteps penetrated the night's silence like a knife and could be heard for several long minutes before they were finally out of hearing range. Evey looked up to V with unbridled fear.

V turned to the woman standing beside him. "Evey, I am very sorry that you were forced to witness this event. I did not intend for such an occ…"

"Are they dead?" She interrupted, looking to the three men lying on the ground with her brows furrowed as she tried to make out any movement."

"No." he regarded her for a long moment. "Which means that we must leave quickly."

"Why did you let that other man go?"

"He had children"

"Oh…" was all that she could manage to say. Evey then lifted the cloth that she had been clutching very tightly back up to her face, drawing it around her eyes once more and tying it firmly to the back of her head. Beneath her eyes were gleaming with a newfound admiration for the man in front of her. So he did have a heart after all…

"Alright." she said calmly, taking a step towards him, "let's go"

***

1. "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" -Thurl Ravenscroft

2. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Full Quotes:

"External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty."

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!"

"You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"


	3. Starlight

V gently lifted Evey onto the ladder once more and slowly guided her up the rungs. Even, at times, climbing over her to assure that nothing had been iced over. Did he really not realized what effect such a move had on her? She couldn't see him, true, but she could certainly feel him hovering over her for a brief pause before proceeding to crawl the rest of the way over her form. The act sent uncontrollable shivers through her entire body and even she did not quite know why.

After a rather tedious amount of climbing Evey finally felt V's catlike physique carry over her back one last time and heard his boots hit some sort of hard material. From here V guided her up and over the ladder and onto a solid surface. He then led her through a rigid door and up several flights of stairs; a chore that seemed to take at least twenty minutes before finally yielding in a cessation of movement.

"Ah" V said with a sigh of contentment," we have finally arrived"

"Where is this?" Evey queried as a very large clock to her left tolled the eleventh hour, "was that…Big Ben?"

"We are on top of Victoria Tower" V said as he slowly slipped the delicate piece of fabric from Evey's eyes an allowed her to take in the scenery. "and yes, that was indeed the famous clock tower"

She gasped, first from the realization that they were so high above the city, and secondly from the profound lack of light around them. Also stunning was the near complete absence of noise within the deadness of the night. Nothing around them moved save the clouds above and there were no people, no cars, and no anything that should have graced the city at night. Below them an array of towers jutted out at Evey like a sea of stalagmites and far across the way loomed the great clock tower of London.

"That's parliament below us, isn't it?"

"Yes"

"What are you going to do to it?" Evey couldn't help but enquire. She knew that they had come here for more than just the scenery.

"I could go through great lengths to describe what I have planned but I believe that showing you would achieve the same outcome" V said, looking at her squarely.

Evey simply stared at him blankly, not sure of what to expect from the man. His vagueness both frustrated and excited her, he certainly had a way of putting suspense into his dialogue.

"And now," he bowed down gracefully to press some sort of unseen switch or lever and then turned back to Evey, secretly both anxious and nervous about seeing her reaction.

Evey winced as her eyes were suddenly assaulted with an abundance of light that came from below. At first she suspected that it would be another demolition, like the Old Bailey, but after noting that there was a surprising lack of outrageous noise she began to reconsider her assumptions. Her eyes instantly changed from being clouded with fear and apprehension to filling with positive delight when she began to comprehend just what V had done and why he had brought her. The tiny speckles of pixie dust that she was witnessing around and below her were not the result of leftover demolition ashes but rather, they were lights-- thousands and thousands of tiny white lights that adorned the tops of each and every tower that lined Westminster Palace and outlined all of the buildings in their entirety. Even the pole of Victoria tower was sprinkled with light and the entirety of Big Ben had been covered with an immense string of Christmas bulbs. And the bridge! The decorations even went so far as to encompass the bridge that tarried over the Thames river, making the water glow with some sort of ethereal serenity at which Evey could only gaze in glorious wonder.

"God, I haven't seen lights like those in years!" She exclaimed as a smile began to form on her delicate face, "it's beautiful!"

"I had hoped that it would please you, Evey." V said with hidden mirth.

"How did you get all that up there?"

"Oh, I have my ways." He smirked beneath the mask. In truth, it had taken him weeks of arduous work and he had encountered a few enemies here and there sneaking through the streets of London. V didn't mind, however.

There was a long pause between the two, each were now gazing at the scenery around them. V's mask was tipped upwards as he gazed at the stars peeking through various gaps in the clouds above while Evey took her time viewing the artistry below them.

"So beautiful…" she whispered into the darkness.

V turned and noted a few wayward tears drifting down the side of her countenance.

"I'm sorry if I upset you." He said smoothly.

"No, V, you didn't. I was just thinking about how mum and I used to decorate the entire house when Christmas came each year. It was always so fun," she sniffed. "We also did a bunch of baking and my brother…" Her head jolted to the side as she tried to veil the coming tears with her hair. "My brother used too…he…oh God."

"Evey…"

He got what sounded like a muffled hiccup in reply.

"It is alright, my dear, you do not have to talk about it."

"I just.." she sniffed again, "I just miss them so much sometimes."

"As well you should." V said, regarding her thoughtfully.

He noticed then that she was doing a great deal of shivering as he stood silently, the mask cocked to the side and gave the illusion that he was staring at her intently, almost as if he was weighing something of great importance. Whatever decision he was trying to make, he decided it quickly. Evey started when he made a rather swift and sudden move towards her person, closing the personal gap between them and suavely extending his arm, the edge of his cape in hand, around the edge of her shoulder.

"You are cold," he said as she started in surprise.

She nodded, the wet streaks that adorned her face quickly becoming backed up with more tears at his gesture. For some reason the deed had inflicted a moment of self pity within the usually cheerful woman and, being somewhat humbled and embarrassed by her actions, she unconsciously allowed her sobbing to worsen. Whether it was the cold, the previous skirmish, or the surprise of Christmas lights Evey didn't know, but everything she had been through lately suddenly seemed to pile up on her all at once and she could no longer hold it in.

'Oh my,' he thought. 'Does this upset her?' V stood very rigid, as solid as steel and quite uncomfortable with what he had done. Had she taken his gesture in the wrong context? There was nothing more in the world he seemed to want than to be closer to her but he certainly didn't want to offend her. She was becoming far too important to him…Well, the completion of his Vendetta was more important, of course, but Evey came in second; or so he was beginning to believe.

He thought ravenously as he tried to decipher what exactly he had done to cause such a reaction from the shaky woman his arm was embracing and, like an adolescent boy on his first date, V had no idea what to do with her. 'Well, you threw her out in the snow, made her witness the horror of your violent antics, stranded her up on top of a building with a man she hardly trusts, and then proceeded to remind her of all the things she has lost. What exactly did you expect old chap? Surely you have done it now.'

The gift. Yes, the gift. That would cheer her up. He had almost forgotten that little token he had obtained for her earlier that week.

"I have gotten you a gift" he said rather unexpectedly, nearly surprising her out of her tears.

"A…A gift?" she spoke softly while still attempting to calm herself down. She turned to face him head on now, her eyes full of both sorrow and anticipation.

"Yes." V reached into his cloak with his free hand and pulled out a somewhat small but rather beautifully wrapped present, then handed it gracefully to Evey. She took the gift slowly, her brows furrowed in confusion unsure of how she felt about receiving it. It was a box, a box wrapped in metallic gold paper and secured by a mound of brown satin that served at the gift's ribbon. Evey unfolded the paper with great hesitancy and untied the ribbon uncovering a dark wooden box within.

She opened the box to reveal diamond bracelet set with five rubies. Two of the rubies danced along the sides of the band amidst diamonds while the other three wrought the edges of a rather symmetrical triangle that formed the center of the piece. V had crafted the design himself after finding the rather ordinary bracelet on one of the supply trains earlier that week. She wouldn't get it now, but perhaps later she would realize what it meant. Five rubies, five for obvious reasons that he had not revealed to her yet, and a triangle. The triangle was the basic shape of the letter V, and it was also the symbol of change, the symbol of the Christian trinity, and the symbol of the power of one to become all. It represented so many things, things that she would only understand in time.

Evey gasped at the sight of it.

"Does it please you?" V asked eagerly.

"Yes, oh thank you V, this is… th" she sniffed, "I'm sorry, it's just that no one has been this kind to me in a very long time. This is really nice. I don't have anything for you though."

"That is quite alright." V said as he took the box from her and hid it within the folds of his cloak once more. He gracefully lifted the bracelet and clasped it around her lithe wrist, admiring the way that her skin accentuated it's beauty.

She hugged him then, unable to think of anything else that could better express her gratitude. The gesture was, at first, one sided as V had gone rigid at her unexpected touch. He stood that way for several minutes, unsure and caught by surprise; but slowly he began to warm up to the idea and returned the deed in full. He tenderly enveloped her within the immense folds of black fabric that made up his cloak, both hands circling her form in an attempt to both warm, comfort, and protect her.

And of all of the things that he could have done right then, of all the blasted things, V started to hum. Evey would have let go in her astonishment, but something told her not to. His voice was filled with a passion that she had never before encountered in him. It was like a deep bell that rose and fell in sweet, thick curves; enthralling her, and sending waves of energy down her spine.

And he was warm. So, so warm. After a while she forgot her place in his arms, unable to remember her growing distrust for him and unaware of the threat that he posed to all of England. Instead, she began to realize just how tired she had become from the days events and started to close her eyes as waves of sleep threatened to take her. At her slipping consciousness she leaned in closer to him, taking in more of his warmth and savoring the comfort it brought. And that smell, it was some sort of husky cologne mixed with everything that made V who he was.

She felt safe, secure, protected…like she had when she was a child. It was like she was in her bed again, at her home. Who was this figure that held her so close? Brows furrows above closed eyes as she tried to figure out where she was and whom she was with in her subconscious state.

Was this her father? Her mother? No, it couldn't be either.

Her brother? How had he grown so much without her noticing? Where had he been all this time?

No, not that either…

The humming. Oh yes, that voice was familiar. That onyx angel who had swept down into her life like a gallant night, saving her life and taking her so chivalrously under his wing. The silent guardian of the night who secretly kept watch over the city, ready to both destroy and defend it as he saw fit through the lens of truth.

V.

Evey's consciousness returned ever so slightly, and she remembered her unfinished sentence from earlier. It did not upset her this time. She felt like she was home again, and with that she could say anything.

"He used to make me so mad when he stole the cookies I made but I always forgave him after I saw the look on his face when he was eating them. He loved gingerbread cookies."

"Mmmmn…" V rumbled as he tried to comprehend her words, coming out of a very sleeplike trance himself. He had long since ceased his humming and his voice was deceivingly smooth and steady when he finally did reply, "Who did?"

But Evey was silent once more and V looked down to her porcelain visage. Her expression had become as peaceful as a child's and her lips were curled in the slightest of smiles.

V's breath caught and he quickly turned his head away from her countenance. His gasp had not been enough to wake Evey, but it jolted him back to a full state of consciousness. He was feeling things…things that he ought not…things that undeniably overwhelmed him."

"Love?" he whispered. Beneath the mask V's rough face contorted into a look of pure amazement and confusion. It could not have been possible, not now, not with his Vendetta. "Good Lord…" he tipped his head slightly to the side, "I can't be."

Evey shifted against him, causing him to have to stifle a rather unexpected cough as his heart fluttered with yet another unknown wave of passion. A steady wind began to sweep over London's snowy rooftops, bringing a newfound coldness to the area. V even began to shiver when the cold burst howled through the holes in his mask and over his unwavering eyes. Eyes that he would never reveal to the woman he so delicately held within his gentle grasp.

Oh sweet, beautiful Evey… He really couldn't help but admire what she had been through, and how she had survived it all. How much more would this woman have to endure? How much of her future suffering would be caused by him? Surely her fear would hinder her, surely something he did would finally break her delicate spirit. That part of her needed to be strengthened, he knew, but how? How could he possibly give her that? Would she hate him for it? Would she abandon him? Probably. She had so much more to experience and overcome, so much.

…but that would not happen tonight, certainly not. Tonight she would be cradled, comforted, and rendered free of all her woes. He would make sure of that.

She shifted against him again, placing both of her hands on his chest and sighing with the slightest of breaths, a puffy cloud of heat emerging from her glassy lips. Another rather ardent rush of energy ran through V in response to her unconscious actions. He was becoming intoxicated with her presence, her scent was maddening, her looks breathtaking, and it was all V could do to control himself and his emotions. It did not help matters when her head receded further beneath his chin, fitting snugly within the giant crevice as she nuzzled against him.

"God," he blurted out as he released an enormous amount of stale breath. He had been so enamored with her endeavors that he had forgotten to respire. Since when had he ever done such a thing? Everything he had done so far had always been intended, calculated with surgical precision. But here he faltered, he faltered like some sort of newborn calf… helpless, uncoordinated and barely able to perform basic functions on his own.

The winds began to pick up speed, carrying the sound of distant sirens from below. Surely they had noticed the lights by now. Why, Sutler would currently be gagging on his milk at the news if V had any say in the matter. But he didn't really care about all that at the moment, did he? Could his vendetta really be held aside for the precious creature that lay entwined in his steady embrace? The idea was absolutely preposterous! But somehow, undeniably true. His heart felt as bright and luminous as the sterling silver stars keeping watch over them from above, and he could no longer deny his amazement at the occurrence. So he wasn't just an idea after all. He was a man, and one who, whether he liked it or not, had an actual identity to call his own. He already had every perception of what he was and what he stood for, but he was only now beginning to grasp who he was, and what that notion entailed. Not just some lifeless gargoyle that loomed over the city in all stoicism, but a living, breathing man who needed this strange woman more than he was willing to admit.

V sighed heavily, unable to decipher his feelings as fatigue slowly began to take hold of him. He was spent from both physical action and emotion. Of course, he still had enough energy to get them both home safely, but the higher authorities of London would soon be attempting to search every crevice of Parliament in pursuit of him. He decided that it would be wise of him to leave before getting into yet another series of skirmishes.

He gently slipped the delicate piece of black cloth back over Evey's eyes. "Just in case," he chuckled.

Big Ben across the way began to herald the night then, sounding twelve booming strikes before the giant piece of clockwork silenced once more. V's gaze floated from to the clock and then downwards as he eyed the sleeping beauty in his arms. A very unsure and certainly unsteady smile slowly began to draw itself across hiss lips beneath the mask.

"Happy Christmas Evey," he said sweetly and with a voice that could rival the purest of baritones.

He tipped his head down further, causing some built up snow to tip off of the brim of his hat. He seemed hesitant to say his next phrase, and it was barely audible above the persistent howling of the wind and thrashing of his cape.

"My love…" and he moved silently back into the shadow of night.


End file.
